St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-12-17
LCOpyrighted. ISL.

tIleIh were circumstances 50 lineNlHCtcd that
their relating almost resolves itself into a
kind Of humor. One Of the first funerals to
occur at Great Bend, Kansas. possessed IN.
precedcnted circumstances enough to make
it humorous, if the unexpected is an attri-
butte Of humOr.
An old and somewhat disliked man, Henry
Turley by name, had been confined to his
bed for several weeks by disease which BAT
fled the skill Of the wOuld-be physicians who
attended him. He seemed to grow steadily
worse, and his death was hourly expected.
Then, the cold weather, which had con-
tinued for nearly a month, was broken by a
few sprng-like days. The citizens of the
little settlement took Turlev's case in
hand and decided that, as his death was
certain to occur in few days at most,
1t was better to take advantage Of the
mild weather and dig grave for him than
to await his death and the probable return Of
cold weather. when grave digging would be
extremely difficult. The grave was accord
ingly dug. Hurley was 50 full of wrath at
having his grave prepared in advance that be
rose from his bed and the same day left
town in disgust. 1t appeared that he had
been shamming all the time in order to OBJ
tain free victuaIs and care. Regrets were
expressed that he had not been buried with
out waiting for the usual preliminary Of
death.
The pleasant weather was soon followed
by a severe storm of snow and sleet Dur
ing the first night of the blizzard, bibu-
lOusly-inclined attorney, Godfrey by name,
being, as was his wont, in an advanced state
of intoxication, lay out all night in the
snow. Two days later he died from the
effects Of his freezing.
His relatives were telegraphed, and re-
spOnded that they would come Immediately.
The storm increased in violence, and last
ing nearly a week, blocked the avenues Of
travel in every direction.
A few days after Godfrey death, nearly
the entire male population of the settlement
congregated at the combined po>tottice, sa
loon, grocery, &c, to swap stories, eat crack
ers end imbibe whiskey. When all hands
were pretty well warmed up, the subject of
Turkeys shameful deception and unoccu-
pied grave was freely discussed. It was de-
cided that such good grave ought not to be
wasted, and, in order to make use of it, God
freys remains should be speedily inferred in
it. This met the approval of all present,
and with the rude coffin in one wagon, as
many as could crowd into another, and a
number of horsemen at either side, the
funeral cortege started, in the heavily-fallen
snow.
Several times on the way, q dog belonging
to member Of the party started jack rab-
bit and each time the horsemen assisted in
the chase. The further the procession got
from the starting point the more of the
mourners jumped from the wagon and aided
the horsemen and dog in chasing the rabbit.
The grave was reached and found to be par
TALLY filled with snow. Then another attor-
ney, who differed but little from the one in
the coffin except that the latter was dead,
proposed, as there was no minister of the
gospel present, to do his best to deliver fu-
neral Grafton. He had hardly got more than
well started when some one shouted that the
dog had started another rabbit.
Away went hOrsemen, fOOtmen orator,
"mourners' and all, in pursuit of the rabbit
and dog leaving teams, coffin and corpse to
take care of themselves. The chase was
particularly long and exciting one, as the dog
while always seeming about to get the rabbit
failed to do so.
Left to themselves, the team got tired of
standing in the storm and ran away toward
home. When the crowd struggled back, the
snow had filled the grave and Obllterated the
wagon tracks. As the cemetery consisted of
only that one grave and had no other marks
to distinguish 1t from the rest of the PRAIRIE
they were by no means certain OF its location
in the snow SO they trudged off home in
the snow and arrived to find the teams there
before them. The ''tail-board' was out OF
the impromptu hearse, and the coffin had
disappeared. It was not recovered till the
snow partially melted, more than week
later.
There is little world of pathos in the sim
pie story of the first burial at Lawrence,
Kan. Moses Pomeroy arrived from ILLINOIS
in 1854, and set bravely to work to make q
home for a dear one left behind. BY dInt OF
much labor he improved his homestead con-
siderablv and erected tiny but comfortable
house Then, full of high hopes for the tu-
ture, he wrote for his waiting sweetheart TO
come.
The Journey, mostly by stage and wagon,
was a long one, and when she arrived the
girl found that her lover had expired but the
dav before He had been stricken down
bv a disease much like mountain fever
shortly after waiting for her and during MS
illness had had no thought but for his com
ing sweetheart. He was praying man, ana
his constant petition was that he might nut
live long enough to see her, but this was ae-
MED him, and he died literally With her
name on his lips. The next day after the
Young ladys arrival the body OF her lover
was borne to the tomb. IT,.
The first burial in Cloud county was thaG
of Mrs. Mcneil and her child. This occnrrea
in 1861 The little settlement consisted Oh
only six houses, and there was not lulnpel
yard or spare piece of board Wlthlh my
miles. ,-.>-.ou.r
From those six houses the least necessary
pieces of lumber were taken ana a conn ia
large enough to contain mother ana gnu
was constructed. One man contrlDuteq nc
door of his little house and stopped !ne
opening for month thereafter by n cIS
a buffalo coat over it. Cases OF se1.o'' I
are somewhat rare, but there was one III ,, Cne
early DAYS of Linn county, Nan Nheh
the Price raid threatened to reach fieaSilIltun,
an old man, after sending his family anu d
wagon-load of goods to place OF ,alety'
vent into the timber, and in secluded h.l-
low. dug hole under a log. Into the cavltS
he craWled. and almost completely cpNciln6
himself with dirt, he dragged a little PIE
of previously prepared brush over Ills
head. ,. f.o,, T,es-
dow til the following Thursday, PerhaPS5
ba would have been there to this DAY nag
he not heard a woman calling hogs 10 ieeet
Concluding it was safe to do SO, ne energy ss
frnm his Temporary grave, to find II, tnat the
dancer had been all imaginary Within I'M, q
u" Of mile of Hays City, ne, near q, olo
- Havs ia little elevation, calleu p"o'